Here s a "what if" question...
What happens if we just keep our version 6.3 running indefinitely without support?
As we are not in the group that looks to meeting government mandates and MU, I can only think of a few things, given a probable 5 year horizon and no need for a huge change in the operating system:
1) Electronic prescribing might quit. This would be a nuisance, not a catastrophe.
2) UpDox might no longer be there for us. A much bigger nuisance.
3) We might not be able to import labs from Quest. We could revert to faxes.
What else am I missing?
1 - could be replaced by another stand-alone vendor and/or interface
2 - Updox supports a multitude of other EMRs, so I see this as less likely
3 - Quest's interface has it's challenges, but it is in their best interest to deliver results electronically as a matter of competition
One issue is support for the legacy WinXP, Win7 OSs as time marches on. The good news there is that with Linux virtualization, those fine systems can live on in perpetuity; it will be increasingly important to isolate them from the wide world to keep them safe.
AC, of what ever version you choose, can live long into the future.
